Back in the mode

Just got through the door after my very brief visit to the seaside. The Hua Lian ($5) bus took forever to get back from Kep this morning, stopping no less than 20 times to pick up passengers en route. Extremely annoying, but I wondered why the bus was so empty when I got on. Sat next to me and intent on making friends was a soldier from the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces, in his army gear. No ordinary soldier I found out but General Khieu Teng, part of the directorship of the Commander-in-Chief and nice guy to boot. He even bought me breakfast when the bus stopped in Ang Tasom. We exhausted the extent of his English and my Khmer as he explained that he was 'just one of the people' hence why he was taking the Hua Lian bus back to the city. He told me not to bother calling him 'His Excellency'. The General and the end of the Jeffery Deaver novel I was reading made the trip pass quickly enough, even if it did take five hours. More on my trip soon.